Second Doctor's Appointment

I had my second OB appointment Monday morning.

We started off with another ultrasound. This one was to test the nuchal translucency, which is a new test my doctor performs at the 11-13 week mark to test for the risk of Down's Syndrome. The baby's numbers came back just fine.

The heartbeat measured at 164 beats per minute, and we got to hear it loud and clear. He/she was a busy body, too....doing flips, stretching and wiggling its little body. Fun to watch, that's for sure!

After the ultrasound I saw my doctor. She reported that all my tests from my previous visit came back negative. Great and whew! We discussed things like the darn swine flu, and she assured me that the best thing I can do at this point is wash, wash, wash my hands and stay away from large crowds of people. Glad John likes to go to Wal-Mart these days for our grocery shopping! :)

I go back for my next appointment September 28th. To my knowledge, this one will be ultrasound-free. Darn. But at the one in October, I'm sure I'll get one. And that's when we'll find out if we're having a boy or a girl.

So for now, enjoy the latest pictures!

Our cute little alien!


Sweet profile...


Another profile...


Legs!


Look close. You can see the fingers on the hand!


Another hand picture...

Fun Facts at Twelve Weeks

Well, we seem to be moving right along with the pregnancy. I'm almost out of my first trimester...woohoo!

Here are some neat facts to accompany the twelve-week mark:

- The baby is beginning to move its thumb in opposition to the other fingers.
- The sucking muscles are filling out the cheeks, the tooth buds are present under the gums, the esophagus and windpipe are present, and the voice box is present.
- The baby will begin to making breathing, sucking and swallowing motions.

Fun Baby Facts at Ten Weeks

- The baby's fingernails begin to grow from the nail beds.
- The thyroid, pancreas and gallbladder will complete its development this week.
- The tooth buds for the permanent teeth begin to develop, as do the membranes that will make up the vocal cords.
- The baby's growth has slowed somewhat. He/she now weighs about a half an ounce and is about 2.5 inches long.

Is It Really Over?

I waited a couple of weeks to mention it just so that I didn't jinx myself. But I'm pretty sure I'm over the nauseous phase of the pregnancy....at least for now!

It still shows up every now and then, but definitely not as bad as it was for those few weeks before and during vacation.

Whew!

I can't recall exactly how long it lasted with my first pregnancy. I thought it was a bit longer than this, but I'm certainly not complaining.

One difference I am noticing this go round is that I'm experiencing more headaches. Many of you know that I suffer from migraines. I never had one migraine when I was pregnant for Ava. And the headaches I'm experiencing this time may not be quite as bad as a migraine, but it's very similar. I've taken just one Tylenol so far, and it didn't do anything. I'm really trying to not take anything if it's not necessary, at least in the first trimester.

Okay, enough rambling. This is a boring entry, huh? :)

First Doctor's Appointment, First Ultrasound

My very first doctor's appointment was Monday, August 10th. We had been looking forward to the day for a long time because we knew we would get to see the baby on the ultrasound.

As soon as the tech turned on the machine, we could see the baby! He/she was still very small, but we could distinguish its head, body, arms and legs. He/she even did a little wiggle for us! That melted our hearts! And the most amazing thing to me was seeing that heartbeat. Such a miracle!

The heartbeat registered at 175 beats per minute. Whoa! I can't seem to remember what Ava's was at this point, as I didn't keep track of it. But John and my Mom seem to think her's was in the 150's. They say anything at 150 and above is a girl, according to the old wive's tale. We shall see!

Before I share the ultrasound pictures, I'll talk a bit about my actual appointment. Everything checked out just fine. My actual due date, as determined by the doctor, is March 13th!

She also ordered some bloodwork, which I took care of that day. I even had to do my glucose testing. I wasn't expecting that, as I didn't do so with my first pregnancy until I was past 20 weeks. I guess each pregnancy is different!

Okay, now on to the pictures!

It's so hard to see some details here. The actual picture we have, not the scan, is a bit clearer.

Vacation

We took a nice, long, much-needed family vacation to the Smoky Mountains at the beginning of August. It was peaceful and relaxing, and I want to go back as soon as possible!

While on vacation, I continued with the nausea and the fatique. With John, my parents and my mother-in-law there, they all took great care and making sure I didn't do too much.

The one event that had us anxious to get back was knowing we had my first appointment the following Monday and that we would get to see the baby on the ultrasound! Please see the next post for the results.